


New and Better Daxam

by bilgegungoren00



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Post 2x19, Wedding, it's just karamel pie with some lemon sprinkled on top
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 07:31:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10872060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bilgegungoren00/pseuds/bilgegungoren00
Summary: When Kara finds out that Rhea is forcing Mon-El and Lena into an arranged marriage, she decides to go there and stop it. But what she finds there might not be what she expected...





	New and Better Daxam

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all!!!
> 
> Okay, so, normally, this fanfic was supposed to be a cute, funny, and ridiculous 2000-word one-shot, but when I was outlining it my mind got ahead of itself and added scene after scene, aaaaaand it ended up being slightly angsty and serious real fast. And 9000 words, let's not forget that lol :) 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this!

Two days. It’d been _two days_ since Rhea let all those Daxamite spaceships enter National City from her portal and then disappeared into thin air…with Mon-El and Lena by her side. Before Kara could do anything about it.

Well, technically it hadn’t been two days yet, but more like forty three hours and twenty four minutes. But that didn’t change the fact that two nights passed since then, and DEO couldn’t do a _damn thing_ about it. The only thing they were sure of was that the spaceships were floating around over National City without attacking or, on that matter, interacting with humans. They didn’t know where Rhea had taken Mon-El and Lena, what she was planning now, whether she really was going to attack National City or not, and if yes, when and how she was going to do it.

Which made Kara pissed as hell, to no one’s surprise. As Maggie said not too long ago, she was used to punch her way through her problems, and unfortunately for now there was _nothing_ to punch and a lot to analyze and scan, which required minimal force and maximum detail. Something she wasn’t _that_ good at.

Those were the thoughts spinning around her mind as she landed inside DEO and, without losing any time, started making her way to the control center. Her eyes were on Winn—who’s been working his butt off to find Mon-El and Lena—so much so that she almost crashed into a DEO agent. Muttering a quick apology she continued her way, though she could feel his gaze on her back. In fact, she could feel many of the agents’ gazes on her. Her eyes traveled around the room, fast enough to catch a couple of them looking even though they turned away the moment _they_ caught _her_ eyes. She frowned.

Had something happened when she was busy at CatCo and they didn’t inform _her_? She’d checked with Winn in the morning and there was nothing, and she’d left work as soon as possible, at 15:04, when on usual days she stayed there till four p.m.

Trying to shake off her uneasiness she went next to Winn and stopped right behind him. He was looking at something on the screen with wide eyes, as if he couldn’t comprehend what it was talking about. She narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, trying to read the writing. “What are you looking at?”

The moment Winn heard her voice he literally jumped in his chair, and before he even looked at her, his hand shot forward and slammed on the keyboard, closing whatever tab was open. Before it disappeared Kara could only read one word: _Mon-El_.

“Kara!” Winn shrieked, spinning his chair so that he was facing her. “What are… What are you doing here so early? Shouldn’t you be at work?” There was a smile on his face that looked absolutely faked, and besides, even without that, the tautness in his shoulders and the worry in his eyes would’ve given him away. He was _hiding_ something.

“I left work early,” Kara explained shortly, crossing her arms. “What were you just looking at?” Winn’s eyes flickered to the screen, and then back at Kara.

“Pfft, that?” he sputtered with a nervous laughter. “That was… That was nothing. I was just…you know, surfing online. Geek stuff.” Kara raised her brows at that as Winn’s shoulders slumped, his voice trailing off. “You wouldn’t be interested.”

“Winn, I’m pretty sure I just read Mon-El’s name on there,” Kara insisted, and with his name the anger in her voice melted, leaving its place to worry. “Did you find something about him? Did you locate him?” The IT specialist opened his mouth to string together another bunch of excuses, but then he stopped. With a resigned expression he rubbed his forehead and turned to the screen.

“Alex is gonna kill me,” he muttered under his breath. “I promised her not to tell you.” A white screen popped up on the screen with a bunch of writing on it.

“Tell me what?” Kara murmured, already leaning over Winn’s shoulder to read whatever was on the document he just pulled up. Her brows were furrowed as Winn watched her intently, his lips pressed together.

_Kara Zor-El_

_You are invited to the union of  
MON-EL GAND of DAXAM  & LENA LUTHOR of EARTH_

_On Thursday, the 11_ th of May, 2017  
At 16:00  
In the Throne Room on Spaceship Gand

_To a new and better Daxam_

Kara’s mouth dropped open when she finished reading the screen. Her mind was having a hard time processing the words, always getting stuck at the first line. The rest sounded almost…meaningless. Impossible. Unreal. She read it twice, and then a third time, as if it would just… _change_ if she read it enough times.

It didn’t. The document was still there in front of her eyes, the gold cursive shining bright even on the computer, black flowers garnishing the corners of the…the invitation. The _wedding_ invitation.

“Kara?” Winn said with a thin voice, leaning forward to look at her face. “Are you okay?” Kara clamped her mouth shut and shook her head, disgust and rage twisting her stomach. She felt the back of Winn’s chair bend under her grip.

“You’ve _got to be_ kidding me.”

* * *

“You knew?” The question left Kara’s mouth before she could help it. She looked at the faces of people in front of her one by one, standing in an arch around Winn’s computer, and all of them turned their eyes away. Alex even started fidgeting with the zipper of her jacket. “You _all_ knew about this?”

“Well,” James started, tucking his hands into his pockets. Kara’s eyes snapped at him, putting him in place as he withdrew a small step. “Yeah. Yeah we did.” He ducked his chin to avoid the Kryptonian’s gaze. She, on the other hand, clenched her teeth and crossed her arms over her chest, not even trying to hide her anger.

“Since when?” she asked, almost hissed, between her teeth. Silence stretched as no one dared to say a word, at least until Kara broke it with a yell. “Since WHEN?”

“This morning!” Winn answered quickly, his hands raised in front of him, as if he was afraid Kara would attack him. “I swear it came this morning. And we _wanted_ to tell you—“

“Oh, and when was that gonna happen?” she cut his words, turning to him. “During the wedding? After? You do realize that we’re talking about my _boyfriend_ here.” _My boyfriend, who’s gonna get married in less than half an hour…to one of my closest friends_. Her fingers curled into a fist, and it took everything in her not to punch something, for starters the computer screen that was still showing the invitation. Kara wished it’d come as a hardcopy letter or something so that she could crush it in her hands.

“We’re sorry, Kara,” Alex interfered before the situation got out of control. Her voice was soft and understanding as she stepped forward. “We were gonna tell you, but…”

“But we didn’t want you to fly there without a plan,” J’onn finished her words when she struggled. Kara opened her mouth to object and say she wouldn’t do that, but the Martian was faster. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do it.” The Kryptonian clamped her mouth, her eyes turning to the invitation yet again. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Mon-El and Lena’s names, written so beautifully that it almost felt like…like they _belonged_ there. The thought made her sick as she shook her head.

“I have to go there, J’onn,” she insisted, stepping closer to the Martian. “Mon-El and Lena would never want this. Rhea took them without their consent and now…now she’s forcing them to get married for whatever game she’s playing. We _have to_ stop the wedding.” Alex shook her head almost immediately.

“Kara, you can’t. It’s too dangerous.” She reached for her arm. “It’s probably a trap to capture you and take you out of the equation; you’d be walking right into it.”

“I can handle myself,” Kara protested to no avail.

“I know you think that, and I know you’re worried about Mon-El and Lena, but we have to be careful about this. You have to believe they can hold their ow—“

“No, you don’t know!” Kara snapped, shaking off Alex’s hand. Tears had filled her eyes as desperation overpowered anger inside her, and she couldn’t stop her voice from quivering as she continued. “I don’t care if it’s a trap or not, I’m not letting Rhea take Mon-El from me. Alex, I—“ Her voice trailed off as the words died on her tongue, sending waves of shock through her body. She stopped herself before she continued and…and said something she couldn’t take back. “I have to go.” Shaking her head she skimmed over the invitation once more before pushing Alex and J’onn away and started walking to the terrace, her footsteps echoing in the room. No one in the DEO was saying anything as they watched her walk away.

“Kara, wait!” Alex yelled after her, and Kara could hear the agent following her. “ _Please_.” Kara didn’t stop as she jumped into the air, the directions on the wedding card repeating in her head over and over again.

_You are invited to the union of  
MON-EL GAND of DAXAM  & LENA LUTHOR of EARTH_

_On Thursday, the 11_ th of May, 2017  
At 16:00  
In the Throne Room on Spaceship Gand

_To a new and better Daxam_

* * *

It didn’t take Kara too long to find the Gand spaceship. Besides the fact that it was the only one that wasn’t flying among all the others, and had actually landed in a deserted area near National City, those said spaceships were hovering above it like a bunch of bees protecting their hive. She landed on the ground with a thump, her cape fluttering behind it, and focused her eyes to the door right in front of her. She was just getting ready to burn through it with her heat vision when she heard two click sounds, and the door started opening on its own, stairs descending from it.

She shouldn’t have been surprised when she saw who appeared above them. The name left her mouth with a growl. “ _Rhea_.”

“Supergirl,” Rhea acknowledged the Kryptonian, her face completely devoid of emotion except the smile on her face. She stepped a couple of steps down the stairs. “So nice of you to join us. I was getting worried you didn’t get our invitation.” Kara clenched her teeth as rage washed over her and strolled forward, ready to jump on Rhea and throw her into ground, common sense be damned. Before she could get far, though, six guards immediately appeared around Rhea and surrounded her, blocking Kara’s way. Even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, she was forced to a stop.

“I wouldn’t attack if I were you,” Rhea quipped, lifting her chin. Kara narrowed her eyes, feeling her fingers curling into fists.

“What did you do with Mon-El and Lena?” she asked, feeling her heat vision build behind her eyes. One wrong word from Rhea and she knew she wouldn’t be able to help herself, unleashing it on the Daxamite. “If you’ve hurt them…”

“Oh, on the contrary,” Rhea interjected before she could get far. “I’m not intending to hurt anyone today. We’re celebrating a wedding, after all.” The confidence in her voice made Kara’s blood run cold. She seemed calm and unworried, as if she wasn’t forcing two people into a marriage but…but they actually _wanted_ it. As if she wouldn’t have to push anything and Mon-El and Lena would be doing everything… _willingly_. She shuddered at the thought and quickly pushed it away. No, that was ridiculous. Mon-El loved her. _Her_. He told her that; he would never agree to marry someone else, let alone _Lena._ He wouldn’t do that to her. And… And even though Lena didn’t know she was Supergirl or she was with Mon-El, Kara doubted anyone could make her do something she didn’t want. Time and time again she stood against her mother _and_ brother.

“Excuse me if I don’t believe that,” she spat out, straightening up her spine. Amusement flickered in Rhea’s eyes as the corner of her lips tipped up slightly.

“Well, follow me then Kara. The wedding is about to start anyway.” With that she turned around and started walking into the spaceship, not even bothering to glance over at Kara to see whether she was coming or not. All the Kryptonian could do was follow her.

The walk was short, but even that couldn’t take away the awkwardness of the silence. Kara was fidgeting, looking at the walls illuminated with dim red and white lights, her fingers curling and uncurling at her sides. Two of the guards around Lena had taken their place behind her, two were standing between them, and two were in front of Rhea. They were all wearing masks over their heads and had weapons in their hands that looked like long staffs. She wondered briefly if she could defeat them all, along with Rhea, if it came to that. Rhea wouldn’t be so hard, especially with the black heavy-looking gown she was wearing, yet she wasn’t sure about the guards. Rhea would’ve chosen the best of them to protect her.

Kara hoped she would never have to find the answer to that question.

Rhea led Kara to a wide space, almost as big as the main hall in DEO, lined with white chairs in contrast to the black walls and floor. It was illuminated the same way the corridors were, yet the lighting here was more bright, giving the place almost a festive aura. She could see a couple of guards waiting by a door, the only other door in the room, and another two or three around what looked like three thrones. And next to them…

She gasped when her eyes found him, standing next to his guards with his back to her. There was no way she wouldn’t recognize even though she didn’t see his face. Her steps halted as his name left her lips without his intention. “ _Mon-El_.”

Mon-El’s shoulders tightened when she heard Kara’s voice. He almost immediately turned around, his eyes finding her as if he knew exactly where she was standing. Shock was splashed on his face, along with what seemed like worry and… _fear_ , yet all of that disappeared almost too quickly, leaving their place to a blank mask. And Kara knew him well enough to know it was a mask; she hadn’t just imagined the emotions that crossed his eyes.

“Look who answered our invitation,” Rhea spoke before anyone could say anything. Kara could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she stepped forward. A part of her wanted to throw herself to Mon-El, to check up on him, to ask whether he was okay or not and if Rhea hurt him, yet she clamped her mouth shut. She couldn’t do any of that, not in the presence of Rhea. So instead she looked into Mon-El’s eyes, trying to read his thoughts from it, even as he was avoiding his gaze as if his life depended on that. Her heart sank in her chest.

_What did she do to you, Mon-El?_

“Yes, mother,” he told Rhea, glancing at Kara from the corner of his eyes, but he again turned them away quickly. Kara’s stomach knotted with worry. There was something wrong, very wrong with this situation, and she didn’t know if she wanted to know what it was. Mind control? Telepathy? _Torture_? What could Rhea have done to Mon-El that made him too scared to look at her? Normally Mon-El’s eyes would always be on her, even when they were with a group, catching her gaze every now and then and flashing a smile at her. But now… Her eyes traveled on him, checking him up for injuries, but even as she looked underneath his dark-grey garment—just to see if he had injuries, nothing else—she couldn’t spot anything. He looked as healthy as always. Maybe a bit tired, but that was it. There must’ve been something else she’d done to him, _something_ …

“Don’t look so glum, Mon-El,” Rhea told him as she approached him, straightening up his shirt. Mon-El tensed under her touch, but he was good at hiding it. “You should look happy for our guests. They’ve come a long way to see their prince get married.” Mon-El nodded curtly, his jaw clenched.

“Yes, mother.” It seemed like those two words were only thing he was capable of saying.

Hearing that made Rhea smile briefly before she turned around, her eyes on the guards around Kara. “I have the wedding preparations to take care of. Make sure you don’t let her out of your sight until I come back.” With that she turned around and left, two of the guards on her heels and the other four staying with Kara.

The moment Rhea left silence swallowed the room. Kara tore her eyes from where she disappeared and turned to Mon-El. She saw her lean down to whisper at one of his guards.

“Can you give me and the Kryptonian the room?” he asked, his voice almost authoritative, almost… _princely_. So unlike _her_ Mon-El.

The guard seemed flustered, even under his mask. “Your majesty,” he started, but Mon-El cut his words almost immediately.

“It wasn’t a request, it was an order.” He then turned to the guards that were around Kara. “All of you. Now.” There wasn’t an ounce of kindness or mercy in his voice.

The guards seemed hesitant at first; they apparently didn’t want to go against Rhea’s orders directly. Mon-El sighed, frustration and impatience audible in his voice. “Are you gonna outright disobey your king’s orders?” Kara stopped short with his words, her eyes snapping from the guards to him. _King’s orders?_ But…how could Mon-El be the king when his father was…

Realization hit her in the head a second too late, and she gasped. _Oh, no_. There was only one way Mon-El could be the King of Daxam, and it would mean that…that Lar Gand was dead. Mon-El’s father was dead, which probably explained why Rhea was still here. Could she have… Could she seriously have killed him just because he let Mon-El go? Could she be that…that merciless, that cruel?

Kara didn’t want to know the answer. She could only stare at Mon-El and his tight posture, her heart breaking for him. _He’d believed his father could be good_ , she couldn’t help thinking. _And now he’s just gone_. She wondered if he knew, and if he did… Then how was he handling it? _Was_ he even handling it, or…or not feeling at all, just like he said he used to do on Daxam?

She didn’t even notice the guards had left until she heard the door click behind them. And then they were alone in the room. Mon-El turned to her for the first time, his grey eyes conflicted.

Kara literally launched herself on him, walking around the chairs and wrapping her arms around him. She buried her face to the crook of his neck.

“Mon-El, you’re here. You’re okay.” She stopped with that and pulled back suddenly, grasping his shoulders. “Wait, are you okay? What did… What did she do to you? Did she hurt you physically?” Her eyes traveled on him once again, lingering on his lips for a second before turning to his eyes. There was nothing on the surface of them, but Kara could see the emotional turmoil going on inside. She just couldn’t pinpoint any of the emotions; it could be excitement just as likely as horror or anger. “And Lena? What happened to her, where is she? And… And your father? Mon-El, is he—“ His father seemed to be what took Mon-El out of his stupor. He winced as he stepped back, putting some distance between him and Kara, and spoke for the first time.

“You shouldn’t have come.” His voice was hoarse, but other than that there was no feeling behind it. Nothing. He sounded almost…bleak.

Frowning, Kara looked at him incredulously. She shook her head and reached for him again to grab his arm. “Mon-El, what are you talking about? I _had to_ come. Rhea… She—She’s forcing you and Lena to marry each other. I needed to stop—“ Mon-El pushed away her hand as he interrupted her mid-sentence.

“She isn’t forcing us to do anything,” he stated almost too nonchalantly. “We agreed to it.” Kara froze with his words, her mouth dropping open. _We agreed to it_. That was what he said, right? She didn’t mishear it. But…but she surely must’ve heard wrong. It couldn’t be true. Why would Mon-El…

“That’s impossible,” she said, shaking her head fervently, as if she willed it enough he’d take his words back. She stared into his eyes intently. “Did she… Did she tell you to say that?” Mon-El pressed his lips together and shook his head.

“My father is gone, Kara.” His voice quivered briefly as he looked away, as if gathering up his courage. When he turned to her again a curtain had fallen over his face. “I’m the King of Daxam now, and it is my duty to build a home for my people, here on earth. And is there a better way to do it other than marrying into one of the most powerful families here and strike up an allegiance?” His voice was matter-of-factly as he spoke, like he was reciting facts from a textbook. Kara’s heart skipped a fearful beat in her chest as she blinked several times, waiting for Mon-El to laugh, to say it was a joke and he was just teasing her. It _must_ be a joke.

Yet he stayed silent, almost as if waiting for her to say something. She took a shaky breath. “Mon-El, this isn’t you,” she told him, stepping closer and putting her hands on his chest. She could feel his heart thrumming under her touch, could hear it beat unsteadily. She clenched her teeth. “This is your mother talking.” She lifted her head angrily to look at his face. “She must be…manipulating you someway, playing with your mind—“

“No, Kara,” he disagreed, almost sounding sad for a second. His blank expression returned immediately. “This is me, not her. I…I finally understand why I survived Daxam. It was for this. To—To unite our people when the right time came. I’m not doing this for her, or because she’s forcing me to do it.” He dipped his gaze, staring at her eyes. There was a desperate quality in his gaze, as if he was needed her to understand what he was talking about. What…what he was _feeling_. “Trust me,” he whispered at the end, his muscles tensing as Kara’s hands dropped from his chest. Kara didn’t even know what to do or say other than staring at him, feeling her heart shatter in her chest. She shook her head, not being able to help the tears welling up in her eyes.

“Mon-El, no,” she pleaded, wanting to reach for his hand again yet she worried he’d push her away. She could feel it, feel that she was losing him, and she couldn’t do anything about it. Mon-El wanted this. He _truly_ wanted this, and believed that…that this was his _destiny_. How could she possibly _wish_ to counter that? He might’ve loved her, yes, but…but this was bigger than love, _any_ love in the world. And it hurt, it hurt her so much that she couldn’t believe how it was even possible. She almost thought she saw helplessness in Mon-El’s eyes for a second, but it was probably her blurry vision tricking him into seeing what she wanted to see.

Before any of them could say anything, guards reentered the room and positioned around Kara. They led her to the back corner of the room without much of a word. She saw that Rhea had followed them with a bunch of others following _her_ , all dressed in their best attire. Guests, Kara assumed. There were also a few floating cameras around the room, recording everyone’s every movement. Not that she particularly cared. Not that it mattered. Mon-El had chosen this—all of this. He could’ve said no, he could’ve found his way back to her, but…

But he had made his choice, didn’t he? He might’ve stayed with her before, but at the end he’d chosen his planet, when it…when it mattered the most.

* * *

Mon-El’s eyes traveled around the crowd that was now filling the room and sitting on the chairs, all of them garnished in most expensive fabrics and jewelry of Daxam. Most of them he didn’t recognize, but every now and then there’d be a face that brought back a couple memories from his days on Daxam, even though those faces were much older now. Some of those even came to greet him, telling him how he looked so grown up now, ready to lead the “new Daxam” as they liked to call it. He answered their kind words with a fake smile and a couple of words before sending them back to their seats.

When everyone took their places Rhea appeared next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He tried not to wince. “You’re doing a good thing, Mon-El,” she reminded him, her voice soft, almost soft enough to trick Mon-El into believing she actually cared about him. The only thing he could do was nod. “You’re uniting our people under the Gand name and fulfilling your purpose. You were born for this.” She stepped forward and looked at his face. “Your father would be proud of you.”

This time, there was no way for him to hide his wince. “Yeah,” he muttered under his breath, trying to keep the memories of the man away from his head. Granted, he never had a good relationship with his father, but that didn’t mean… That didn’t mean he didn’t care about him, and his death… _suicide_ …didn’t hurt. But if he was going to get through the wedding then he needed all his strength with him, and if he kept thinking about his father, there was no way he could go on. So for the time being he repressed those feelings and instead focused on the situation at hand.

Rhea patted Mon-El on the shoulder one last time, stood in front of the throne in the middle, Mon-El standing a little to her front and left. “Let the ceremony begin,” she announced, and clapping sounds filled the room. Mon-El’s eyes involuntarily turned to the corner Kara was standing at, wondering if she was one of those that were clapping. He wasn’t surprised to find that the answer was no. Her hands were clasped together in front of her tightly, her shoulders were tense, and it seemed like this time _she_ was doing everything she could to avoid his gaze. His heart squeezed in his chest when he saw the pain that was so visibly written on her face: She was never that good at hiding her feelings anyway. The worst part was knowing that it was _him_ that caused this.

It seemed like he kept ruining the lives of people he cared about.

He shook away the thoughts immediately and instead turned to the door, through which Lena started walking through in a few seconds. She had a red dress on that fell down to her feet. It had a deep cleavage, but it covered her shoulders and hugged her body tightly. Her gloves that went up her elbows left her fingers bare. Her neck was adorned with a gold necklace, and her hair was pulled back, baring her forehead. Her eyes found Mon-El’s the moment she strolled in, her steps so confident and strong that one couldn’t believe she was nervous. There were questions in her gaze as she searched Mon-El’s face. He just nodded curtly, in a way that would be unnoticeable to anyone that wasn’t watching for it. Lena nodded back the same way as she swayed through the guests and walked up the steps to where Mon-El was. There were a couple murmurs around the room about Lena and her appearance, yet without Kara’s superhearing Mon-El couldn’t hear what they were saying.

It didn’t matter anyway. If anyone had doubts about her, they’d know what she was made of at the end of the ceremony.

Lena stood right in front of Mon-El, facing him, her hands outstretched in front of her. Mon-El grabbed them, only to realize they were cold and shaking. Despite her bravado, she _was_ as distressed as he was. He squeezed her hands briefly to reassure her.

“We’re here to celebrate the union of Mon-El Gand of Daxam and Lena Luthor of Earth, binding two hearts and two planets together,” Rhea started, her smile bright as her eyes traveled on the guests. “We might’ve lost our planet, but with two strong leaders to lead us, we can build a new and better Daxam!” With that the room started cheering, almost making Mon-El sick. He had to gulp as he glanced at her mother. One of the servants brought her a box and she opened it, revealing two pins, one symbolizing earth and the other Daxam. Normally, the pins would symbolize the families of the couple that was mating, but of course, this wasn’t just about family. Mon-El must’ve guessed it. “With these pins you will be accepting the other into your heart and your family, and in this case your planet.” She turned his eyes to Mon-El, urging him to take the pin for Daxam. Taking a deep breath Mon-El reached for it, thanking Rao that his hands weren’t shaking. He attached the pin on Lena’s garment.

“With this pin I take you into my family,” he recited the words that he’d heard so many times back on Daxam. He was sure they sounded as blank as he felt. He nodded Lena to continue when she hesitated, and she grabbed the other pin, the one for Earth, and put it on Mon-El’s suit at her second attempt. She took a deep breath.

“With this pin I take you into my family,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. Mon-El tried to encourage her with his gaze; there wasn’t much he could do under his mother’s watchful eyes. He saw Rhea smile with confidence from the corner of his eyes as she gestured to another servant to bring something else. A cushion…with two crowns sitting on top of it. They looked so detailed, so elaborate, that they must’ve either been made before the wedding was even planned, or Mon-El felt truly bad for the person that worked on them. Both of them were silver and simple, nothing too luxurious. Mon-El bowed slightly to let Rhea place one of them on his head, and the other on Lena’s. She looked almost proud, yet if Mon-El knew her even slightly, he knew that it had nothing to do with seeing her son getting married. It was because she finally got what she wanted.

At least she _thought_.

She stroked both his and Lena’s arms before she turned to the guests. Mon-El saw Lena shudder under her touch, yet she masked it beautifully with a smile. “All hail Mon-El and Lena,” Rhea started as they turned to the crowd, “the new king and queen of Daxam.” Someone brought a tray with three glasses of alcohol on it—a party wasn’t complete on Daxam without alcohol—and took one from it. The others were for the…well, newly-wedded couple. Rhea raised her glass.

“To a new and better Daxam.” She gestured the couple to do the same. Mon-El’s eyes found Lena’s to get her confirmation. There was determination in them as she nodded, lowering her glass instead of lifting it. Confusion etched into Rhea’s expression as Mon-El mirrored Lena’s movement.

“No.” His word cut through the cheering in the room like a knife. Nobody said anything; not any of the guests, or the guards, or even Rhea. Mon-El’s eyes flickered through the room and he found himself, once again, looking at Kara’s spot. Her chin was lifted and her gaze was focused on him and Rhea, question marks in them. Despite his nerves Mon-El tried to force a reassuring smile for her and hoped it looked good.

“Mon-El, you don’t mean that,” Rhea said finally, after at least ten seconds of silence. “We’re all gathered here—“

“No, mother,” Mon-El cut in harshly before she could say anything more. He fixed his gaze on her, and no matter how unnerving looking directly and defiantly in her eyes was, he didn’t budge. He couldn’t, not now. The fate of National City, the fate of _Kara_ lied on his shoulders. He needed to get this right. “I know what I’m talking about.” He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath to get rid of the shakiness in his voice. He turned back to the guests and the cameras, his eyes lingering on all of them one by one. “We’re not building a new Daxam,” he stated, “or a new anything. Right now, as your king, I’m setting all of you free.”

* * *

_Mon-El didn’t know how many times Lena paced back and forth behind him in the cell, but he was sure it was enough times to wear off her shoes. “Your mother is crazy!” she shrieked probably in the middle of one of her paces, and then continued walking. “If she thinks I’m gonna agree to this. She’s crazy!” Mon-El bowed his head and rested his forehead against the bars, trying to block out her voice. It didn’t work. “An arranged marriage? For what? To unite your people and…and gain a foothold on Earth?”_ Yeah, for exactly that _, he thought but didn’t voice the words. He could feel Lena’s gaze on his back. “Aren’t you gonna say something?”_

_“What do you expect me to say?” Mon-El asked, pushing himself off of the prison bars to look at Lena. She threw her hands in the air._

_“I don’t know! Maybe… Maybe that you don’t want it either? That you can talk to her and make her see some…some_ sense _?” Mon-El scoffed at that, turning his eyes to the floor._

_“I doubt she’ll listen to anything I say,” he muttered under his breath, wincing at that thought. Lena seemed like she was waiting for him to continue. “Trust me, Lena, I don’t like it any more than you, but do we really have a choice?”_

_“We could say no,” Lena suggested, stepping forward. “She can’t force us to stand at the altar and perform the ceremony.” She stopped for a second. “She can’t, right?” Well, thankfully, the answer to that was no. Mon-El shook his head and tucked his hands into his pockets._

_“No, she can’t, but then she’ll keep us in this cell forever until we do her bidding. She needs us to bring all the Daxamites under her control, because now that my…” Pain hit him in the chest as his voice trailed off, and he had to briefly close his eyes to pull himself together. He remembered his mother walking him into the throne room, standing in front of the window._ This is where I found him _, she’d told Mon-El._ With a knife in his chest. I was too late _. Ever since then Mon-El couldn’t get that image out of his mind, guilt eating him up._

_He tried to push those thoughts away as he continued. “Now that my father is gone, under Daxam’s laws I’m the king, not her. She needs me if she wants all the Daxamites to follow her.” Bitterness was dripping from his voice as he clenched his teeth, feeling the sudden urge to punch something._

_Furrowing her brows Lena shook her head. “Why do I have to marry you for that? Can’t she just use you to get whatever she wants?” Mon-El shot her a glare. “I’m just being honest,” she said, lifting her hands in her defense. Mon-El could only sigh at that and shook his head._

_“Marriage… Mating… It’s sacred on Daxam. A king is seen more powerful when he has a Queen by his side. My mother must be thinking we’ll be a stronger front together, which would attract more of the Daxamites, and a union between me and…well, a daughter of Earth, I guess you could call it, would warm the Daxamites to this planet.” He stopped as his words hit him in the head._ Of course _. After… After the mating ceremony, the Daxamites would surely view him and Lena stronger than his mother, and they’d be more likely to follow him than Rhea. If he could only make that happen… “But it doesn’t have to be like that,” he told Lena, straightening up. The woman lifted her brows._

_“What are you talking about?” Scratching his cheek, this time Mon-El started pacing around, trying to piece together his thoughts into a coherent whole._

_“When we marry, we will be the leaders of Daxam, not…not my mother,” he started explaining. “Our words will count more than hers. If we try to fight her now, there’ll be some people that will side with her, saying she’s still their Queen. But if we go through with the marriage… It’ll be you. You’ll be the queen. We can… We can use that to our advantage.” His brain was firing at a dangerous rate as he continued, trying to slow himself down so that Lena could understand him. “We can use that to bring the Daxamites to our side and defeat her. And… And afterwards, Daxam marriages are easily broken anyway.” His planet was never a fan of monogamy. “Once we take her out we can get a…a dovirce, you called it?”_

_“Divorce,” Lena corrected him. Mon-El nodded fervently._

_“Yes, we can get that done.” He took a deep breath and looked into Lena’s eyes. “So, what do you say?” Lena hesitated for a couple of seconds, her eyes thoughtful, until she looked up. Her hesitation had melted into determination._

_“What do I have to do?”_

* * *

A commotion rose around the room with Mon-El’s words, the Daxamites looking at each other with puzzled looks, some of them even outright shocked. Mon-El’s gaze turned to Kara before he continued, gathering up his strength from her comet-blue eyes. He flashed her a small smile.

“I refuse to force anyone under a rule they don’t want. If you wish—“

“This is nonsense, Mon-El!” her mother interrupted before he could go on. She looked… Well, furious didn’t even begin to explain it. Her eyes promised him a painful punishment as she straightened up, trying to maintain her dignity. “Guards, take him out of my sight—“

“No.” Mon-El’s voice cut through his words when he saw the guards hesitate. “You are loyal to me, not her. I’m your king.” He was amazed that his voice didn’t shake as he stepped forward to Rhea. “If anyone is going into a prison, it’ll be her.” He lifted his chin and shoulders, gesturing the guards to grab her arms. “Now take _her_ out of my sight.” His heart was pounding as he continued staring at Rhea’s eyes, making sure he didn’t show how unsure he felt of himself. He didn’t know how the guards would react. They’d been following Rhea’s orders for so long, especially after his father had… _died_ ; there was a good chance they wouldn’t give her up so easily. Yet…

Yet it didn’t take the guards much time to step away from him and instead go for Rhea. She pulled back, opening her mouth to object, but it was too late. One of the guards hit her with the back of his staff, sending her down on her knees. The other hit came to the side of her head and knocked her out, her body falling on the floor. Mon-El instinctively stepped forward, as if to protect her, before he stopped short. No, this was what he wanted. To take Rhea out. It didn’t matter… It didn’t matter that she was his mother, it didn’t matter that he might still care about her. She’d tried to kill Kara, she’d manipulated Lena, and she was ready to attack National City with a Daxamite army. Yet seeing her there… On the floor…

He couldn’t watch as the guards dragged her away. Instead he stepped forward to face the Daxamites. “My mother didn’t bring you here to give you a ‘new and better Daxam’, she brought you to reinstate the same oppressive system and use you for her own benefit. She was planning on starting a war with this planet, which would’ve gotten a lot of you killed, if not all.” He took a deep breath and turned his eyes to Kara, who was staring at him with wide, shocked eyes. He locked their gazes together as he continued. “But it doesn’t have to be like that. We don’t have to go to a war and kill each other. I’ve… I’ve been living in this planet for months now, in peace, without needing to fight or run for my life. I’ve found a home here.” He couldn’t help the smile forming on his face as he watched the confusion in Kara’s eyes disappear, leaving its place to surprise and then…happiness? He couldn’t be sure as he was forced to tear his eyes away and look at the crowd. “Aliens are welcome on Earth. People here don’t turn you away, they don’t discriminate you; they include you to their society and let you live among them as one of their own. You are allowed to be whatever you want here. You don’t need to be a slave, or a peasant, or a prince, you can just be yourselves and choose the life path you want. And I’m freeing you to make that choice; I won’t stop any of you from leaving. If you want, you’re free to do so.” He held his breath when he finished his words, watching the shock and confusion in the Daxamites’ eyes melt into something else, something like…hope? Though on Kara’s face… He was sure it was pride that was illuminating her eyes as light reflected off the tears that had filled her eyes. She offered him an encouraging smile, and that was all Mon-El needed to have the drive to continue. He looked back at Lena and extended his hand to her, letting her step forward and to his side.

“You don’t have to stay here if you don’t want either,” she said, the words coming out of her mouth in the strong voice of a CEO. She lifted her chin. “The transmatter portal that you used to come here, you can use that to go to any planet you want, if you choose to do so. We won’t force you to do anything you don’t want.” She looked at Mon-El, her eyes shining with the joy of finally doing something right, escaping from the influence of her parents— _and_ Rhea. Mon-El knew exactly how that felt like.

“No one will stop you if you want to leave, and we will be here if you need anything.” He stopped, letting the words sink into the room. At first no one said anything. They were staring at Mon-El with unsure gazes, glancing at each other, as if to make sure they weren’t dreaming. Mon-El could hear his heart pounding as he waited, and waited, and waited for someone to say something. With each passing second all the courage and energy he’d built up started dissipating.

Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe the Daxamites… They wouldn’t choose to be free, maybe they _would_ want their planet back. How long would it take all of them to overpower him and Lena and throw them into a cell? And reinstate Rhea as their queen?

After what felt like minutes finally someone stood up, an elderly man, and walked up to Mon-El. His hands were shaking as he bowed. “Your majesty.”

“You can stand up,” Mon-El said quickly. One would think that after years and years of people kneeling in front of him he would be used to it and a few months on earth wouldn’t change anything, yet he couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable. He smiled kindly at the man and gestured him to continue.

“My daughters and their mother,” the man started, lifting his head. “I’ve sent them to the planet Xaotov before Daxam was destroyed. I haven’t seen them in years, and if…if it’s okay, I would like to use that portal to…to go there. To see them again and…stay.” His eyes looked pleading as he looked up.

Relief flooded Mon-El’s shoulder with his words. He let out the breath he was holding and glanced at Lena to get her approval. She shook her head as she stepped forward.

“Of course,” she told the man, taking his hand and squeezing it. “If you have the coordinates of the planet, it shouldn’t take us longer than a couple of hours.” The man’s face literally lit up in front of their eyes as Lena led her to the back of the room to have a more private chat.

Afterwards…it all went smoothly. It seemed like the whole room was waiting for someone to step forward, to see that Mon-El and Lena was telling the truth and weren’t trying to deceive them. Almost too many people came forward, thanking them, asking questions, seeking help, so much so that it might’ve seemed overwhelming to someone else. But not Mon-El. He welcomed all of them, greeted them, tried to offer as much as help as he could. Because… Because he hadn’t lied to Kara when he said maybe this was why he survived Daxam’s destruction. Not to… Not to lead his people, but to free them, give them the life they deserved.

He felt a soft touch on his arm a couple of seconds after he ushered a group of teenagers to the exit. He turned round to see who it was, only to come face to face with Kara. Her eyes were filled with tears once again that day, but this time it wasn’t because of heartbreak; it was because of love and pride. He realized she was the only one that was left in the throne room and all the guests were gone.

“Mon-El,” she whispered and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close. He’d pushed her back when she did that earlier, but now he pulled her close, wanting to get lost in her smell. He’d gone too long—way too long—without her. Pretending he didn’t…want her, or he’d chosen to marry Lena… It was one of the hardest things he had to do. Yet now, having her in his arms, her fingers tracing the lines of his back, her hand squeezing his shoulder…

He’d never felt happier.

“Kara, I—“ he started to apologize for what he did, for making her believe that he didn’t love her anymore, as if…as if after everything they’ve been through, that was even possible. Kara hushed her almost immediately as she pulled back.

“Shh,” she said and pressed a finger on his lips. “Don’t. Mon-El…” She shook her head, a compassionate smile pulling her lips. “I’m proud of you.” Mon-El’s heart fluttered in his chest with her words.

“Yeah?” he asked, a corner of his lips tipping up. Kara nodded and reached up, pressing her lips softly on his.

“Yeah.”

* * *

Kara shifted and turned in Mon-El’s arms to snuggle into him more, her head resting on his shoulder. Her one arm was wrapped around his back, her fingers drawing circles there absentmindedly, while her other hand held a bowl of caramel popcorn that was resting on Mon-El’s thighs. Her legs were tangled with Mon-El’s under the red blanket she pulled over them. A movie was playing on the TV that they were supposed to be watching, yet…yet neither her nor Mon-El was really paying attention to it. The Daxamite had her eyes on Kara, on her hair that fell down on her shoulders in curls, her Supergirl cape thrown over the back of the couch. Neither of them had bothered to change when they arrived, wanting to grab some snacks and cuddle on the couch immediately, relishing the feel of each other’s embrace. He still had his wedding suit on, which was a fact he was trying not to think of.

Mon-El caught a strand of Kara’s hair and tucked it behind her ear, a smile playing on his lips. Kara didn’t even bother to lift her head from his chest as she tightened her arm around his body.

“You’re staring,” she murmured, her fingers tapping on his shoulder. Mon-El didn’t even bother to deny as he kept watching how the light reflected off of Kara’s hair, illuminating it in all the different shades of brown and gold. Kara chuckled. “Mon-El?” she asked, glancing at him through her lashes. Mon-El flashed her a grin, yet it disappeared too quickly when he couldn’t keep the memories of the day from seeping into his mind. He frowned and turned his eyes to the popcorn bowl.

“I was just thinking,” he started, stroking Kara’s arm lightly, and took a deep breath. “I-I mean, I… I’m sorry.” Kara’s fingers on his back stopped as she pushed up from his chest to look at his face. She looked almost confused.

“Why?”

“For what I told you on the…on the spaceship,” he tried to explain. “I was worried that my mother only left us alone because she thought that—that I might be hiding something from her that I might tell you. And if she was watching us, I couldn’t outright tell you my plan—“ He would continue rambling if Kara hadn’t stopped him by putting a hand on his chest.

“Hey,” she murmured, her fingers traveling up his neck to cup the nape of his neck. “You don’t need to apologize, Mon-El. You did what you had to do to make sure that…that Rhea believed she was controlling you.” Her thumb lightly stroked his hair. And Mon-El wanted to smile for her, for the understanding and forgiveness in his eyes, yet it seemed like his muscles were frozen. Guilt was still churning in his stomach.

“But I hurt you—“

“Mon-El,” Kara stopped her, taking his face in her hands. “I’m not mad at you, okay? I get it, I get why you did all that. You… You saved those Daxamites from your mother’s oppressive rule and…and slavery. You set them all free. Now, thanks to you, they have a chance to have the life they want.” She offered him a proud smile, looking right into his eyes as if she was making sure Mon-El saw she was being completely honest. “You were a real hero today.” His shoulders relaxed with those words, especially when she rubbed them soothingly.

“Well,” he tried to joke to lighten the mood and shrugged. “I try.” Kara laughed heartily as she lied back on his chest, her hand resting on his waist. He planted a small kiss on Kara’s hair before he continued. “But if I’m gonna be honest, it was pretty scary. I really thought I would mess it all up.” He could feel Kara’s frown as her hand stilled on the lapel of his jacket.

“Really?” she asked unbelievingly. “You looked pretty confident in yourself, as if you’d rehearsed all that.”

“I did,” he admitted. “You can ask Lena. I think she listened to me recite that speech at least ten times before my mother took her to prepare her for the wedding.” A grin spread on Kara’s face with his confession. “And I still thought everyone would side with Rhea.” The Kryptonian turned her head at that and pressed a kiss on his shoulder.

“But they didn’t, because you inspired them to be free.” She flashed him a smile, tracing the lines of his jacket. “And, well, all that kingly talk was kind of hot.” Mon-El’s brows arched at her words. “I mean, once you get over the fact that your boyfriend is has just married one of your friends behind your back…” Mon-El laughed at that, earning a punch from Kara. “I was being serious. Don’t you dare do that again.” Her eyes lingered on his lips before she looked up.

“I won’t, I promise,” Mon-El told her, stealing a kiss from her lips. Kara jutted her chin forward with a smug smile.

“Good,” she said and squeezed his shoulder possessively. “And I also want you to keep this shirt. I wasn’t lying when I said you looked hot in it.” The corners of Mon-El’s lips tipped up as he nodded.

“Anything for the lady.” With that they settled back on the couch, trying to focus on the television again, yet it was impossible. Mon-El had already forgotten what they were watching. He took a deep breath.

“This isn’t over yet,” he whispered, worries looming over him once again. “Not all the Daxamites followed us. Some of them… They still believe in Daxam, they believe in Rhea’s idea that it should be rebuilt. A relatively small amount compared to the ones that followed me and Lena, but still a large number.” He tightened his arms around Kara’s waist as the fear of possibly losing her again constricted his chest. “And they’re gonna fight to rescue Rhea from DEO and do what she wanted them to do.”

Kara’s answer came fast after his words. “And we’re gonna be ready when they come,” she promised, looking at him. “We’ll fight them together this time, and we’ll win.” Mon-El pressed his lips together anxiously. He wanted to believe Kara, but…but there was this nagging worry inside of his head that kept telling him everything would go sideways eventually. He shook his head.

“How do you know?” A smile played on Kara’s lips.

“Because I’m not letting anyone take you from me again. Ever.” She pushed his hair away from his head and stroked his cheek. “Understood?” She looked so beautiful, even with her messy hair and bags under her eyes, that Mon-El found himself smiling back. He nodded.

“Yeah,” he said, pulling her down on his chest again. “Yeah, me neither.”


End file.
